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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Gadchiroli SP declares Maoist menace ‘almost over’

Mumbai: In a resounding statement signalling a historic shift, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) Neelotpal has declared the district, once the dark heart of the ‘Red Corridor,’ is on the verge of becoming completely free of the Naxal menace. The SP expressed absolute confidence in the complete eradication of the banned CPI (Maoist) presence, noting that the remaining cadres have dwindled to a mere handful. “There has been a sea change in the situation,” SP Neelotpal stated,...

Gadchiroli SP declares Maoist menace ‘almost over’

Mumbai: In a resounding statement signalling a historic shift, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) Neelotpal has declared the district, once the dark heart of the ‘Red Corridor,’ is on the verge of becoming completely free of the Naxal menace. The SP expressed absolute confidence in the complete eradication of the banned CPI (Maoist) presence, noting that the remaining cadres have dwindled to a mere handful. “There has been a sea change in the situation,” SP Neelotpal stated, highlighting the dramatic turnaround. He revealed that from approximately 100 Maoist cadres on record in January 2024, the number has plummeted to barely 10 individuals whose movements are now confined to a very small pocket of the Bhamragad sub-division in South Gadchiroli, near the Chhattisgarh border. “North Gadchiroli is now free of Maoism. The Maoists have to surrender and join the mainstream or face police action... there is no other option.” The SP attributes this success to a meticulously executed multi-pronged strategy encompassing intensified anti-Maoist operations, a robust Civic Action Programme, and the effective utilisation of Maharashtra’s attractive surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy. The Gadchiroli Police, especially the elite C-60 commandos, have achieved significant operational milestones. In the last three years alone, they have neutralised 43 hardcore Maoists and achieved a 100 per cent success rate in operations without police casualties for nearly five years. SP Neelotpal highlighted that the security forces have aggressively moved to close the “security vacuum,” which was once an estimated 3,000 square kilometres of unpoliced territory used by Maoists for training and transit. The establishment of eight new police camps/Forward Operating Bases (FoBs) since January 2023, including in the remote Abujhmad foothills, has been crucial in securing these areas permanently. Winning Hearts, Minds The Civic Action Programme has been deemed a “game changer” by the SP. Through schemes like ‘Police Dadalora Khidaki’ and ‘Project Udaan’, the police have transformed remote outposts into service delivery centres, providing essential government services and employment opportunities. This sustained outreach has successfully countered Maoist propaganda and, most critically, resulted in zero Maoist recruitment from Gadchiroli for the last few years. Surrender Wave The state’s progressive rehabilitation policy has seen a massive influx of surrenders. “One sentiment is common among all the surrendered cadres: that the movement has ended, it has lost public support, and without public support, no movement can sustain,” the SP noted. The surrender of key figures, notably that of Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias ‘Bhupathi,’ a CPI (Maoist) Politburo member, and his wife Sangeeta, was a “landmark development” that triggered a surrender wave. Since June 2024, over 126 Maoists have surrendered. The rehabilitation program offers land, housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and employment. Surrendered cadres are receiving skill training and are successfully transitioning into normal life, with around 70 already employed in the local Lloyds plant. A District Reborn The transformation of Gadchiroli is now moving beyond security concerns. With the decline of extremism, the district is rapidly moving towards development and normalcy. The implementation of development schemes, round-the-clock electricity, water supply, mobile towers, and new infrastructure like roads and bridges is being given top priority. He concludes that the police’s focus is now shifting from an anti-Maoist offensive to routine law-and-order policing, addressing new challenges like industrialisation, theft, and traffic management. With the Maoist movement in “complete disarray” and major strongholds like the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) Special Zone collapsing, the SP is highly optimistic. Gadchiroli is not just getting rid of the Naxal menace; it is embracing its future as a developing, peaceful district, well on track to meet the central government’s goal of eradicating Naxalism by March 31, 2026.

NCP (SP) hopes to leverage rift between Marathas, OBCs

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Mumbai: In August, Sharad Pawar’s convoy was stopped in Solapur’s Barshi town by Maratha protestors demanding to know his stance on the reservation quota. A day later, he announced that he would support the cause of Maratha reservations if the Centre decides to extend reservations beyond the 50 per cent ceiling. In one stroke, he put the BJP-led union government in a spot and also vowed support to the agitators. In these elections, too, the senior politician, who enjoys the sobriquet of being a master strategist, will leverage this issue to his party’s benefit.


The BJP is already facing discomfort over the raging issue with Manoj Jarange-Patil refusing to let the situation quieten down. His demand that blood relatives of Marathas who have the necessary documents, also be eligible for reservations, is met with severe opposition from the OBCs. The community fears that the quota for existing groups will go down if more communities and groups are added to the pool competing for reservations. The Supreme Court in 2021 had struck down a proposal for quotas saying that it was breaching the 50 per cent limit set for reservations. While trying to placate the Marathas, the BJP and the Mahayuti alliance find themselves in a Catch-22 situation with OBCs training their guns on the parties in power. Prominent OBC leaders like Chhagan Bhujbal and now Laxman Hake are protesting against Jarange-Patil’s demands. Both communities, the Marathas and the OBCs form a sizeable part of the electorate and irking either would mean political suicide for a party. The Lok Sabha results, especially in Marathwada, were apparently a reflection of the unease and anger of the protesting communities towards the parties in the ruling alliance.


For long, the BJP has, in hushed tones, accused Pawar of inciting Jarange-Patil for electoral gains. Devendra Fadnavis even publicly claimed that Jarange-Patil “is reading Pawar’s script”. The claims are hard to prove. Nevertheless, these protests have presented a strategic opportunity for veteran politician Pawar. His response to these protests could shape the future of Maharashtra’s political landscape. And the leader of the NCP (SP) has carefully selected candidates to capitalise on this raging issue.


The rift between the Maratha and OBCs communities could be the secret to victory for Pawar’s candidates. A stellar example is in Beed where young OBC face Sandeep Kshirsagar has been re-nominated. It sends out a dual message; his loyalty is valued and rewarded and the large OBC population in Beed is assured that their opinion and vote matters to the party. The OBC electorate in the region is what catapulted Gopinath Munde to power, a legacy his successors are vying for.


On the other hand, Pawar has pitted Manikrao Shinde, a Maratha against OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal from Yeola. It helps consolidate the Maratha votes in the constituency especially since Bhujbal, the undivided NCP’s most prominent OBC leader, has been vocal against the Maratha reservation demands. The anger against Bhujbal will translate into votes for Shinde.


The movement has united various factions within the Maratha and OBC communities. Pawar is poised to align with both communities to reinforce his party’s commitment to social justice and could forge new alliances with smaller regional parties.

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